Decency Publishing - Educational Resources For Parents And Teachers

Welcome to our educational resources site for parents and educators. People often recommend sites to me that promote literacy or critical thinking skills. This site will be a resource for parents and students.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

The ISS tracker is an app you download on your phone that alerts you when the International Space Station is going to fly over your house. It is only 5mb. however it is one of the funnest apps I have downloaded in a long time. It provides an overhead compass and data to help you successfully see the space station. It truly looks like a falling star at certain angles. The first time your kids see it, they will be amazed.

I do recommend an open setting to account for tree lines or natural boundaries. A city park or open field will do just fine. If you have some natural boundaries, you will have to choose a time when the space station is over 25 degrees or higher above the horizon. There are many factors that impact your view and the app will guide you to good nights to view the station. Try it out, you will be amazed.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Monitoring the progress of emergent readers is important. There are great websites for parents and educators to help with reading goals. First, it is important to acknowledge what might be a misconception for some.

Most educators shy away from using the term grade level. Grade levels are a thing of the past because it was hard to apply in larger school districts. What might be 5th grade level at one school may be different at another. For this reason, Lexiles are used for measurements of progress regarding reading. It measures an individual's reading ability and comprehension based on the difficult of the text. So parents should use the websites provided knowing that many are based on a Lexile Range. It will look something like this:

480C -830L - 4th Grade - A book within these parameters does not reflect context, just reading ability. BE CAREFUL. For example, the Grapes of Wrath is at a Third Grade Level , but is not appropriate for Third Grade readers.

Parents have to use the site to examine current age appropriate context and be sure to check for each text's reading level.

The over all range is Beginner Reader to 1700 exile. The website www.lexile.com will explain how to interpret your reading materials

We will also be including links for children with learning disabilities. For example, rewordify,.com allows parents and teachers to copy complicated texts from works of literature and have them simplified for comprehension purposes. Check out the links under Reading Resources and feel free to suggest additional resources.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Decency Publishing is upgrading their free website for Parents, Teachers, and Learners. This is a mulit-age website for learners of all ages. The webite is rich with free learning tools. New this year is Free Apps for Android and IPAD (ITunes Store). This central database helps people get connected to free sites. Please feel free to provide feedback and additional resources.

(Decency Publishing is a small publishing group from Rome NY. Click on our home page to discover our other sites.)

Monday, December 14, 2015

Funforthebrain.com is an interactive site that is great for families and educators. Each grade level has hundreds of problems for students with interactive videos to help explain the solving of problems as they go. Lessons utilize flow player which is an HTML player. Adobe or flash programs are not required. This is great for parents concerned about downloading additional software.

The lessons are done using a smartboard type background. Kids will be use to this because most schools are equipped with smartboards. Also, the lessons will help parents navigate lessons plans from common core that do not come with instructional materials.

Grades pre-k to 7th grade, Fun For The Brain is a great addition to your learning experiences online. If you are a teacher, this site is great for classrooms. Overall, a great find and free for all to use.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

I found a neat site for Bible questions and answers. Check out the link on the right - "Got Questions." The site not only interprets scripture, it also provides insight into contemporary issues. Type in Medical Marijuana for example, and it gives an analytical answer based on the Bible's verses that reflect upon the usage of marijuana possibly being supported or not by scripture. Check it out. You will enjoy the conversations that can be shared after looking up a topic on this site.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Who is Ellen Craft and have you ever heard about her journey from slave to freedom? I have and it is a great lesson to share with your children. Similar to Susan B. Anthony, Ellen Craft switched genders as a disguise. Cleverly, she went from slave to slave owner. I am including the link and the story for the blog. So how is this an education game you might ask? Well, imagine at home, or in a classroom a game of gender change that was used to gain a human right.... How much of an impact would this have on learning? I bet I would remember a lesson of putting on a dress for freedom. A lesson that would last a lifetime.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Today is the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In a time when some are denying the Holocaust, Google has provided an amazing online tool for educators, parents, historians and home schooling advocates. A historical tool of Primary Sources including videos, first hand accounts, and photos help a new generation why we do not want history to repeat itself. (Or sadly, helping us recognize we continue to fail to understand the horrors of war and consequences of atrocities against a faith or culture.)

Decency Publishing - Educational Resources For Parents And Teachers

Welcome to our educational resources site for parents and educators. People often recommend sites to me that promote literacy or critical thinking skills. This site will be a resource for parents and students.